Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-14
senntOr Allison.

Some of our readers will remember an
editorial article which we printed some
three or four months ago, giving a sketch
of the life and personal characteristics of
Senator William B. Allison of Iowa. In
that article Mr.. Allison's birth as an Ohio
farmers boy So or 81 years ago, his early
education, his services in raising Union
troops at the outbreak of the war, his en-
trance into Congress in 1862, and his useful
public services in the House and the Senate
since that time, were briefly alluded to. 1t
was said of him that he had broad, strong
grasp of public affairs, that he was an ac-
knowledged leader in dealing with the fin
ancial questions of the government that he
was entirely above reproach i'll his personal
character, and that no man had a better
standing than he among his colleagues in
Washington. Finally we said that he was
"a man who would bear watching" for the
reason that he was coming to be much talk
ed about as II possible candidate for the
presidency on the Republican ticket next
year. Our readers also know that at the
recent Iowa Republican state convention
the feeling for Mr.. Allison was enthusiastic,
and the convention was only kept from
publicly declaring for him by Mr. Allison's
own modesty and level headedness
For these reasons we are glad to be able
to put in print this week, as is elsewhere
done, Hon. Dorman B. Eatons personal i'm
pressions of the Iowa senator, derived from
several years of acquaintanceship and per-
sonal observation. Mr.. Eaton, it will be
seen, finds in Mr.. Allison very many of the
strong qualities which a Chief Executive of
the Nation should have but he is especial
ly drawn to him by the fact that he has
been from first to last an earnest and CON
sistent friend of civil service reform. He
has not made himself known distinctively
as reformer, but he has supported every
reform measure, he believes in the princi-
pies of government which underlie the civil
service law, and if he were nominated on a
civil-service-reform platform the people
would know that the ticket meant what the
platform said Mr.. Allison is man whose
earnest, aggressive Repubicansm is well
known, and Mr.. Eaton believes that he
would, if nominated, poll the full strength
of his party vote, while he would win back
large majority of the Independent vote
and appeal to the best element in both par
ties. In short, Mr. Eaton estimates Sena-
tor Allison to be very much the kind of man
we had in mind when we said recently
that the Republican presidential candidate
next year should be "a man whose charac-
ter and public record are a guaranty of the
kind of man he is, " and that the campaign
should be made one (which shall put the
party at its best, and in which every mem
Der of the party can work for the best that
is in him."
1t is yet too early to begin the nomina-
ton of presidential candidates, but it is not
too early to discuss the political situation in
candid, free and informal way. Mr.. Ea-
toms feeling in regard to Mr.. Blaine is
more severe and unsparing, we think, than
that of most Republicans who are not Blaine
men, and his estimate of Mr.. Cleveland is
higher than that of most Republicans but
that does not lessen the weight of his opin-
ion as to the attitude which the Republican
party should take in next years canvass.
On our own part we believe with Mr.. Ea-
ton that the time is at least one when all
Vermont Republicans can well afford 10 ex-
press their convictions fearlessly.